Coin-controlled gravity-operated ticket-printing-and delivering scale



va sheets-sheet 1 II HIIIIM h 'i :l |l Il :l |l 4;. :n Il I| Il Il 'l Il ,l ll Il h n 'E ll h Il |I ll S. A. RHODES ET AL COIN CONTROLLED GRAVITY OPERATED TICKET PBINIING AND DELIVERING SCALE Slept. 6, 1932.

Original Filed Jan. 2, 1925 (Hfe j Sept 6, 1932 s. A. RHODES ET AL 1,875,887

COIN CONTROLLED GRAVITY OPERATED TICKET PRINTING' yAND DELIVERING SCALE Original Filed Jan. 2, 1925 8 Sheets-Sheet 2 Sept. 6,1932.

S. A. RHODES ET AL GON CONTROLLED GRAVITY OPERATED TICKET PRINTING AND DELIVERING SC'ALE 8 sheets-shyt s Original Filed Jan. 2, 1925 faz Sept 6, 1932- s. A. RHODES ET AL 1,875,887' COIN CONTROLLED GRAVITY IOPERATED TICKET PRINTING AND DELIVERING SCALE Original Filed Jan. 2, 1925 8 Sheets-Sheet 4 Sept. 5, 1932- s. A. RHODES ET Al. 1,875,887

COIN CONTROLLED GRAVITY OPERATED TICKET PRINTING AND .DELIVERING SCALE origina-1 Filed Jan. 2 1925 8 Sheets-Sheet 5 Sept. 6, 1932. s. A. RHODES ET AL COIN CONTROLLED GRKAVITY OPERATED TICKET PRINTING AND DELIVERING SCALE Original Filed Jan. 2, 1925 8 Sheets-Sheet 6 Sept. 6, 1932. s. A. RHODES ET AL 1,875,887

COIN CONTROLLED GRAVITY OPERATED TICKET PRINTING AND DELIVERINGVSCALE- Original Filed Jan. 2, 1925 8 Sheets-Sheet 7 Sept. 6, 1932.

COIN CONTROLLED GRAVITY OPERATED TICKET PRINTING'AND DELIVERING SCALE Original Filed Jan. 2, 1925 S. A. RHODES ET AL 8 Sheets-Sheet 8 i lat a time into Patented sept. s, L1932'` UNITED STATES CosPoRATIoN- oF ILLINOIS PATaNrol-Flci-j f sETII A. RHODES, or can PARLANDGUSTAV F.l nocIIIuEM, oF CHICAGO, ILLINoIsAssIGNoRs To RHODES-Kommas MANUFACTURING Co., oFCHIcAGo, ILLINOIS, ,A

ooIN-coNrBoLImn GRAVITY-OPERATED TIcxEr-PRIN'IINAND DELIVERING SCALE originai app1icatinmeanuary 2, 1925, semi Nc. 20o. vInviata and this application med January a,

` 1926. semi No. 79,929. l t

This is a division of prior application filed January 2, 1925, Serial No. 200.

The present improvements relate to weighing machines which, upon the insertion of a coin, will print `and eject a ticket showing the weight of a person standin r,on the scale platform. In the specific embo `iment shown means are provided also for printing the date of the weighing operation. The present device belongs to that class of coin-controlled ticket-printing weighing machines in which the weight of a person on the platform supplies the necessary power for the 'operation of the scale.

We are 'aware that various attempts or suggestions have heretofore been made toward the desired end of providing a coincontrolled gravity-operated ticketrintingand-vending weighing scale. In suc devices, it has been recognized that certain fundamental parts are essential, such yas means for storing up energy for gravitational operation, means for holding a supply yof tickets, means for feeding the tickets successively one rinting position, means for printing the ticet and means for ejecting it. The present machine, which is now in extensive use, is the result of improvement in all of the fundamental parts or features, kwith i novel additions, all making for improved ref sults and advantages.

f The chief object of the improvementsis to provide a reliable'and dependable device of the character described.

A specific object of the invention is to provide for greater ticket capacity whereby refilling of the device is less often required, thus saving time and labor and maintaining the machine in longer periods of service. It is an object also to provide a ticket ma azine for the ticket supply according to which a .substantially uniform pressure is maintained Vupon the particular ticket which at anytime n. is in position vto be shifted away from the ftd stack, an important factor of uniform operation. v l

Another important object is toprovide the required certainty of action through the provision of peculiarly appropriate mechanisms,

the avoidance 'of parts or features found to be unnecessary, and, in general, by simplifying the construction and reducingthe number of parts. Y

It is an object to provide a device of the character described which will operate with a `relatively small weight on the platform, for instance a child of twentypounds, without the prior setting of the machine by a person of reater weight. f

he important object' of a satisfactory operation is contributed to by means provid.- ing that the coin may not be inserted until the machine is ready tor print and deliver the ticket; and the further object is attained by refusing a coin when the card container is empty or substantially exhausted of the blanks on which the printing is done.

rIt is an object to promote safety to the machine and a satisfactory yuse by means whereby when the operation of filling the ticket container or magazine has been performed the container door must be closed and put into a co-,operative -position before the front door of the casing or outer housing of the machine can he closed, thus preventing misoperation through inadvertence of attendant. f

A specific yobject is to provide readily operable means for adjusting various of the operative parts calling for adjustment, as in the instance of the date-printing wheels, fromkday to day, orof a liquid-containing dashpot, the mostsatisfactory operation of which may call for adjustment in hot 'and cold weather.

' In the rather critical operation yof feeding one ticket at a time from a stack or vertically arranged supply, the objecty is attained of a smooth and easy'shift, with but little friction and with dependable certainty of action.

Various `advantages are had also in the organization or arrangement of certain feeding, printing, tripping, etc., mechanisms on the opposite sides of a common plate-like support which holds the several mechanisms mounted on it intheir respective co-operative relations, thus saving space also yand avoiding complication yof parts.

The machine of the present invention is of relatively small size and weight while at the same time being strong and durable.

Still other objects and advantages will appear hereinafter.

It will aid the understandin@ of the machine if atthis place a brief description is made of its chief features of operation. The person desiring to w igh himself steps upon the scale platform which moves downward slightly, raising a weight and other parts to store up energy, the raised elements becoming latche'd in suspended position. This stored up energy becomes effective w ien the person steps off of the platform after a weighing operation, and then raises a lesser weight which, coincident with the weighing operation, restores other gravitationallyoperated parts to original position. The downward movement of the scale platform is also communicated to a pair of springs which balance the persons veight. The downward movement of a rod extending npward from the springs is communicated to a vertically movable rack in mesh with a small pinion on a printing wheel of considcrable diameter having on its periphery numerals beginning in our practice with 20 and ending with 300 defining the weighing capacity of the machine in pounds avoirdupois. The printing wheel begins to turn as soon as the person steps upon the platform and oscillates somewhat just before it comes to rest. .v-i pointer rotated through frictional engagement with the printing wheel is in view of the person on the platform and when the pointer ceases to oscillate the device is ready to receive a coin.

The coin opening is normally closed by a gate which is operated by a device providing a delayed movement so that at about the time the printing wheel comes to rest the gate opens for the reception of a coin.

The coin falls a sufficient distance in a chute to provide the desired force for tripping a catch which holds in suspended position a gravity-operated lever which was raised while the preceding person was still on the scale. rllhe descent of this falling lever releases the printing hammer for gravitational fall, aided by a spring, and when the hammer falls it communicates motion to the ticket feeder to carry it bach into position to advance another tiche i. The falling lever also moves a catch releasing a lever of the first class ha fing a weight atone end; and the gravitational tilting of this weighted lever carries the previously falling lever upward into its original position where it becomes caught for the next weighing operation, and at the same time the weighted lever moves and holds out of the way a catch which has been holding up the main weight and other parts raised when the person stepped on the platform. New, when the person steps od of the platform the main weight near the base of the machine descends, drawing down also the lever connected with it, and the drawing down of this lever rocks the weighted lever till it becomes latehed, thus raising the Weight on that lever to supply power' for the next weighing operation. lVhen what we have described as the falling lever is forced upward by the gravitational action of t-he weighted lever,

as mentioned, the hammer is carried upward and the ticket shifter is operated to advance` another ticket, incidentally forcing the printed ticlret out of the guides and into a hopper which carries it to an opening where the person weighed can get it.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of the device with the front door of the casing removed;

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation with the rear easing door similarly omitted;

Figs. 3 and 1i are enlarged fragmentary side elevations viewed in opposite directions, with front, rear and top walls of the Casing in section;

Fig. 5 is a still further enlarged fragmentary side elevation of certain levers, ete., appearing in Fig. 2 and showing these parts in their relative positions when the machine is rear y to receive a coin and before the person has stepped on the scale platform;

Figs. (5 and l are similar view of the lever mechanism of Fig 5 showing the relative position of parts respectively before and after the insertion of a coin, with the person standing on the platform;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary perspective of the upper end portion of the ticket magazine;

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary front elevation of the lspring-suspended basket or follower holding card in the magazine;

Fig. 9a is a section on the line Qca- 9a of Fig. 9;

Fig. 10 is an enlarged cross sectional view taken on a line as lO-lO of Fig. 9;

Fig. 11 is a top plan of certain card shifting mechanisms;

Fig. 12 is a side elevation of parts shown in Fig. 11, and some associated parts;

Fig. 13 is a cross sectional view on the line E-13 of Fig. 11 but showing the card ejecting mechanism in its rearward position.

Fig. 1-1 is a cross sectional view on the line 14-14 of Fig. 11;

Fig. 15 is a top plan and Fig. 16 is a side elevation of the coin-actuated tripper arm and associated mechanisms;

Fig. 17 is an. enlarged fragmentary detail of the coin chute showing the slot and stop for the end of the tripper arm;

Fig. 1 is a cross sectional view on the line 18-18 of Fig. 15;

Fig. 19 is a cross sectional view showing platform or base mechanisms and elements connecting them with the upright portion of ,the scale. The base of Fig. 19 isnotour inviews respectively of the mechanism for' opening and closing the coin-receiving slot;`

Fig. 23 is a top planof the shutter or gate and associated parts forv closing they coin-receiving slot; i f

Fig. 24 is anelevation of samefviewed from the rear, showing the open position in dotted lines; f o c.

Fig. 25 is a view, partly in section, of a cushioning mechanism or daslipot; l

Figs. 26 and 27 are cross sectional views taken respectivelyon lines 26--26 and 27 27 of Fig. 25; l y

Fig. 28 is an enlarged detail of the automatically-operated printing-ribbon-advancing means; and y Fig. 29 is an enlarged fragmentary top plan of a part of the printing hammer mechanism.

Referring to Fig. 19, the system of balancing levers is shown sufficiently in sidefview. The base comprises a movable platform 1 resting at 2 upon a longitudinally rextending member 3 and at 4 upon a shorter longitudinal member 5 connectedl by a link 5a to the member `The member 3 is supported byfal link 6 toa bell crank lever 7 pivoted tothe frame of the base, while a similar bell crank 8 pivoted alsoto the frame is connected by a link 9 to the member 5. A longitudinal member, 1() connects the corresponding ends ofthe two bell cranksl 7 and 8 and makes pivotal connection with the bell crank 11 pivoted at` 12 to a part rigid with the base frame. A weight 13, connected to the bell crank 11, is mounted for up-and-down movement, as-is also the rod 15 connected to the longitudinal member 2. Fromthe above description it will be clear that when a' person steps on the platform the lrod 15 will be drawn down while the weightk 13 will be moved up. Y f

Referring now toFigs. 1 -to 4 inclusive, it will be seen that the various mechanisms are enclosed in a rectangular outer housing which in practice is of sheet metall except for a glass panel 17 shown in Figs.`3 and 4 and which is in the front door of thehousi ng. o

Rigidly secured within the housing is av plate-like main support 18extending from the top of the housing downward, see Figs. 1 and 2, and which is positioned between the front and rear walls of the housing, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. In rac-tice this main support 18 is a piece of at sheet steel, and one feature of improvementis in the organization of various mechanisms on opposite sides of this plate whereby space .is economized andthe parts are held in their co-operative relations to much better advantage than if secured to various independent supports.

From Fig. 1l it'will be noted that the weighing pull rod 15 is connected by a pair of rods 20 to a cross-arm 21 carrying a pair of springs 22 secured tothe main support 18. Also that a rod 23 extends upward from the cross-bary 21 terminating in a rack 24 (see,

Fig. 20) in mesh withwa small pinion 25 mounted on a shaftA 26 on which is also 4secured a printing wheel 27 hav-ing on its periphery raised igur-es indicating pounds, and

1n our practice ruiming fromf20 `to 300. The shaft 26 is journaled in ball bearings inthe plate 18 and in a front bracket o frame 19 secured to the plate 18.

It will thus be clear that when'a kperson will be extended, the rack 24 drawn downward, and the printing wheell 27 turned on its axis, the strength of the springs being so co-ordinated with they numbers on ythe printing' wheelothat the number indicating `the weight of the person will be directly at the top of the printing wheel when the balance is reached. n

In order to prevent undue movement and excessive oscillation of the printing wheel,

vwe provide the dashpot 28 (Figs. 1 and 2 and more in detail in Fig. 25)l operatively connected `to the cross-bar 21.y

, Tracing out now the other movement which takes place when the person steps on the platform, We will refer iirst to Fig. 19, and again note that the weight 13 is raised by the Weight on the platform.y FromFigs. l and 2 it will be noted that a rod 30 extends upward from the weight 13 and is connected to an offsetting piece 31 to which in turn is connected a vertically disposed rod 32. The function of this rod 32 wlllappear from Fig. 5, which shows a system of levers mounted on the rear of the main support 18 and with the levers in their relative positions when the machine is set for a printing operation but before a person to be weighedL steps upon the platform. From this figure it will be noted thatfthe rod 32 is connected to a lever of the first class 33 pivoted at 340jupon the plate 18. When a person steps 'upon the platform, `what we will describeas the frontend of the lever 33 is moved upward until it substantially engages the adjustable stop 34, at which time an oval-shaped lug 35 on the lever is cau ht by the latch 36 pivoted at 37 upon a brac et 38 secured upon the main support 18.v The latch 36 has its lower end provided with an extension k4() and between it andy a part of the bracket 38 the coiled spring 41 extends tending at all times to draw kthe lupper part of the latch in a direction toward the ovalshaped projections 35, y'While the extension 42 of the latch serves as a stop to limit movement.

n l.The second and'coincident effect of a persons stepping upon the platform is, then, to raise the front end of the lever 33 until it steps on the scale platform the springs y22 is caught by the latch 36 and the Weight 13 is thus held in suspended position and for descent when the person steps off of the platform.

From Fig. 5 it will be noted that a rod 43 extends upward from the rear end of the lever From Figs. 21 and it will be noted that this rod 43 carries an outstanding frame 44 having an outstanding pin Also that to the main support 18 (see also Fig. 3) is secured a rearwardly extending plate 45 having an opening 7 which is for the most part rectangular but which has at its lower portion an inverted V-shaped upstanding part 48. To this plate 46 is secui'ed a support 49 provided with an ear 50 at one end through which extends a rod 51 having its outer end secured to the Harige-like piece or extension 46e, Fig. the rod 51 lying between the extension frame 44 and the rod 43 and therefore serving as a guide for the rod and the pin 45 in their,up-and-down 1novements, always maintaining the pin 45 in a proper position in the opening 47.

Mounted on the small transverse support 49, Fig. 21, is a sort of S-shaped rocking member 52 which is maintained resilientlv in its normal position shown by Fig. 21 by a coiled spring 53, Fig. 22. A rod 54 is pivcted at upon the plate 46 and extends through an opening in the main support 18, and this rod is normally held in its full line position, shown by Fig. 21, by the coil spring 5G.

Referring further to Fig. 21, it will be noted that when the rod 43 is drawn downward, which occurs when the person steps on the scale platform, the pin 45 will follow the leftliand contour of the S-shaped member 52, and wien it comes to the bottom of that member the lower half of the member will be pushed to the right and the pin 45 will continue to descend until it reaches the mounting for the rod 54, and will pull that end of the rod down, raising the other end, or into the dotted-line position shown in Fig. 21. Immediately after the pin 41 has passed the lower end of the member 52 the spring 53 will cause the member 52 to resume its nor mal position, and subsequently when the rod 43 rises the pin 45 will move upward on the other side of the S-shaped member, finally pushing the upper end of that member to the left and finding itself again in its normal position shown in Fig. 21.

As we shall presently see, the lifting of the rod opens the coin chute to receive a coin. Letus suppose that someone steps on the platform before the person preceding him has stepped off, or before the machine has had time to adjust itself for the next operation, a condition of frequent occurrence. At such time the pin 45 is either still at the bottom of the opening 47 or has moved part of the way up the right-hand contour of the member 52.

As it happens in practice, the pin 45, which is at the bottom of its ath of movement so long as a person is standing on the platform, rises somewhat-*during the Shifting of weight (one getting oil' and another getting on) and comes above the sharp projection 48. Thereafter when the person getting on applies his full weight. the pin 45 descends in the right-hand compartment formed by the projection 48 and does not move the arm 54, and the coin slot is not opened and will not open until the person steps off of the platform and permits the machine to get ready to furnish him his weight.

Turning now to Figs. 23 and 24, we note that the rod 54 extends to a place directly over and in contact with an arm 58 of a T- shaped closure pivoted at 59 upon a plate 60 secured to the main support 18. A spring G1, Fig. 24, will draw the leg or closure 62 to the right, as viewed in Fig. 24, when the rod 54 is moved out of restraining position. Taken vith the foregoing description, it is clear that at the end of the upward movement of the weight 13 and rod the gate or closure 62 will be swung into its dotted line position in Fig. 24, permitting a. coin to be inserted in the coin chute 63.

lVe have thus far described the various operations which take place when the person to be weighed steps upon the platform, and for the purpose of description have made the assumption that someone weighed himself on the machine prior to the present weighing and thereby set the machine for normal operation. As thus far described, the machine is ready to receive a coin to be deposited through an opening 65, see Figs. 3 and 4, which opening is in the front door of the outer frame or housing.

Assuming, then, that a person has stepped upon the platform and waited a little while until the coin slot opened and then deposited a coin,- we will refer to Figs. 15, 16 and 17 to show the first results. The descending coin strikes a light lever G6 having its front end tipped with steel to withstand wear and vertically movable in a slot 67 in the coin chute (53, carrying the lever 66 downward until its front end comes sufficiently out of the slot 67 to permit the coin as G8 to pass by and become deposited in a collecting box which may rest at the bottom of the casing. The lever 66 is one of the first class and is pivoted on an axis T0 and is held by a. pair of conically pointed screws 71, Fig. 18, mounted in a frame designated as 7 2 and secured to the sheet metal outer casing or housing of the machine. A vertically extending rectangular bar .73 is mounted for upanddown movement in a passageway formed by the construction of a tilt-ing latch T4, as will be noted from Fig. 15, the latch 74 being pivotally mounted at 75 near its inner end and being provided with a projection 76, well noted in Fig. 6, and the vertical bar 73 yis provided with a notch to accommodate the projection 76. It will be clear that as the free end of 4 1 the latch y74 is raised the projection 7 6 will 5 come out of the notch and permit the rod 73 to descend. The descent ofy the coin leverl66 raises the free end of the latch 74; since the lever 66 is provided with anarm 77 adapted to engage thelatch. f V t The first result of depositing the ycoin is, therefore, to release the bar 73, Vand from Figs. (5' and 7 some of the .ensuing operations will be clear. We will startwiththe assumption that the front end of the lever arm 80 "and the'bar 73 were raised and caught by the dog at y76, 6, during the preceding 4weighing operation. The release of the bar 73 by the coin-operated y, ,X tripping mechanism permits that bar and the lever arm 80 to fall gravitationall Thclever arm turning on the shaftSl. Tihis shaft "81 projects through the main support18,as will be noted from Fig. 1, whichr also shows a lever arm82a mounted on the front'sideof the main support on the shaft 81. Fig. 3 showsthat to the arm 82a is connectedaJ vertical rod 8 2 extending upward to a leverextension83. Referring to the detailof Fig. 29, it will be not ed that ,the arm 83y is -loosely mounted ony a shaft 84 outstanding from and rigidly secured to the main support 18, at ,the front end of which shaft is also loosely mounted the hammer, arm 85. It is to be noted that the sleeve 83a carrying the leverarm 83 has a projection 86 in the path'of the contacting progection 87 on the hammer arm 85. rFrom this construction it will ybe clear that when the arm 83 is raised, .the projection 86 will be moved away from the projection 87, permitting the hammer arm 85 to descend.k 'FromfF ig. 1 it wiil be noted that a spring 88a co-operates in drawing the hammerarm downward, and it will there also benoted that ysince the lever arm 82 is relatively long with respecty to the 4 movement ofthe stop 86, Fig. 29,.`away yfrom the stop 87 is relativel rapid with V*the result that the hammer f ar 85 may descend gravitationally, or even Vmore rapidly,y as` through the effect of the spring 88a. Theresult is that the hammer head a strikes ablow upon a ticket immediately atfthetopiof the printing wheel 27. v K

Referring to Fig. `1KV and also toFig. 12, it

55 will be noted that a horizontal rod88 is pivotedto the hammerarm and extends to a pivotal connection with the :dependingarm 89 pivoted at 90 upon the main support 18 and adapted to swing. The `lower'end of the G0 swinging bar 89 engages a reciprocating ticketfeeding sliding element later herein more specifically to be described. At this place we desire principally to mention ythat when the yhammer bar descends .the ticket U5 feeder 'is forcedtothe left as viewed in Fig.

lever arm 83 (shown enlargedin Fig. vf2.9), the

l, into position *to engage a ticket subsequently to be advanced toward the right. Summing up certain movements, we find that the deposit of a coin results' in permitting Y `.surface of the latch or dog 92 pivoted at 93 on thebracket arm 38,y and` the arm 8() and latch 92 assumetheir dotted line positions in Itis ldesired after each printing operation to raise ther printing hammer and move the ticket shifter. The means provided comprise the dog 92, the lever of the first class 94 pivoted kon the stud shaft 34, and a weight 95 -connected to what we shall call ythe rear end of the lever 94. This weight 95 is Vguided for up and down movements in brackets secured upon the rear surface of the main `support 18. When the lever 94 is released by the disengagement of the latch 92 the weight 95causes the front end of the lever 94 to swing upward. From Fig. 7 it will be noted that .an .adjustable screw 96 in the lever arm 9i contacts the lever 8O at the time the dog or latch r92 moved out of holding engagement, with the result that when the front end 'of the lever 94 is swung upward it carries with it Lthe lever arm 80 until the latch 76, Fi 6 `reengages the notch in the bar 73 to gold the arm 80 in raised position, and the several leivers are then in their full line positions re` s pectively shown in Fig. 7.

Turning again to Fig. 29, it will be noted that when the lever arm 83 is drawn `downward they stop 86 engages the lstop 87 l.and raises the hammer 85 into its positionshown in Fig. 1, ,and therewith the rod 88 ,is vmoved to the right as viewed in Fig. y1, with the result that another ticket is vadvanced to the right, and with the further result that the ticket which has been printed is forced outof the guides through which it traveled into printing position, and into the thopper 98, Figs. 3.and 4, and into the catch pocket 99, out of which it may bevpicked bythe Aperson standing on the scale platform.

When the weight 95, Figs. (iA-and 7, descends and carries upward the front end of the :lever 94, the rectangular-shaped stop 10() (shown only by dotted .lines),lengages the curved surface .36a of the dog 36 Aand forcesy it to' the righ`tor into the position shownin ig. 7, and out of engagement withthe ovalprojection 35 on the lever 33. The levers 33and 94 remain in their full line lpositions shown in Fig. 7 so long as ,the person remains on thescale platform. As soon ashe steps off, howeveigthe greater power of the weight ,13 near lthe base, together with its lassociated parts then in raised position, causes the rod 32 to descend, drawing downward the front end of the lever 33, and the engagement of the oval projection $5 on lever 33 with the rectangular projection 100 on lever 93 draws the front end of lever downward unt-il it is caught by the latch 92, the upper end of which is gravitationally drawn to the left through the overhalancing weight of the latch extension 92a, and thus the weight 95 is also raised, storing up energy for resetting the lever 80.

Summing up further, it will thus be clear that the fall of the lever arm 80 releases the hammer for gravitational operation aided by spring pressure, which spring pressure is desirable in view of the concurrent shifting of the feed mechanis i; that the raising of the lever 80 by the w t stores the hammer for the next priming oper tion and mores the 'ticket shifter to adriana.. another ticket and discharge the one printed, also that the lifting of the weight 13 into suspended position furnishes power for restoring the weight 95 to its power-sup` l osition; and that thus all of the ticket A. gint.) g and ticket-feeding operations are per formed l power which was stored up by a person standing on the scale platform. rEhe o rson heine does not, however,r supply t for his own weighing stored up in the machine by person weighed.

The ticket-supply he motive power at power was the preceding is contained in a vertically disposed magazine illustrated in Figs. S to 10 inclusive. lt formed of metal, and from Fig. 10 it will be noted that a ticket as 101 is contacted by rounded side surfaces of the magazine at 102v av ,y from the corners of the tickets and that at each end of the ticket there is a single rounded surface 103. There is a little play betv. u the vertically stacked tickets and the conminer wa ls, and the construction of the magazine is such as to pr vide an unusually free movement of the tickets therein. `for moving the tickets upward there iii-st a follower plate 104- at the upper end of a rod 105 secured upon a sort of S-shaped member 106 having its arms extending through the respective side wall openings 107 of the magazine, and to these arms are secured coiled springs 108 which are secured at their upper ends to a bracket 109 to be seen at the top of Fig. 1.

le have found that operation of such a machi e tis highly desirable that the pres" re upon the ticket at any given time being shifted away from the stack should remain substantially constant. lVhere tickets are fed downward .in a magazine, the weight of the stack and therefore the pressure upon the lowermost one is considerable in the beginning and diminishes with each weighing operation. rThe result has been that only a comparatively small number of tickets for a satisfactory n i could be stored in the container for use, the excessive weight of a relatively large number of tickets interfering too seriously with the removal of the lowermost one. According to these improvements, the relatfvrny long springs 108 are put into greater tension when the magazine 1s fully charged, being more extended, and assume a griidually lessened tension as the tickets are fed oil the top of the stack one at a. time. lVe have found that the snings 108 must be substantially long and exible to provide the desired results of a substantially equal pressure, and, importantly, a substantially small pressure upon the particular ticket at any 'given time being moved ofl' the top of the stack. According to these improvements we are able to operate to the full capacity of the magazine which, in our practice, is formed to hold one thousand cards, an enormously greater number than has been found feasible where the. tickets move gravitationally downward in a magazine.

For charging the magazine, we provide a doorway in the front upper portion opened and closed by the door 110 which, when closed, is a continuation of the front wall and cooperates in holding the tickets properly within the magazine. The magazine is positioned so close to the front door of the outer casing that when the magazine door 110 is opened and standing out horizontally, being .held in that position by the stop 111, the outer casing door may not be closed, thus providing a safety feature found to be valuable, for the person charging the machine might otherwise forget to close the magazine door and thus endanger the proper feeding of the cards. In charging the magazine the door 110 is opened, any tickets then in the magazine are pushed downward until caught by the gravity-operated latch 112. and thereupon a bunch of tickets may he inserted and adjusted, and that bunch then pushed down-- ward until caught, and so on until the magazine is charged, the additional tickets required to fill the magazine to the top being readily applied either by simply holding the stack down or by permitting the catch 112 to remain temporarily in place. is finally moved out of engagement, the tickets nicely adjusted, and the door closed and latched. In this connection, the feature of .having the side Walls of the. magazine open is important since, as a final Operation, it is well to pass a finger up and down along the stack of cards and push them all over to one side, as toward the left as viewed in Fig. 8, to insure that they are all nicely aligned whereby they equally come into position to be moved off the stack without frictional movement between them.

The particular form of ticket illustrated in Fig. 10 forms the subject of application, Serial No. 685,495, filed January 11, 1924, by

l the right a distance equal to the width of the Lavaca? Seth A. Rhdes,one of thepresentapplicants.

Figs. 11 to 13 inclusive illustrate the cardshifting mechanism.` kkSlecured to the main support l18 is a metallic guide member to which thefupper endof the ticket magazine lis secured, as with screws 113. The ticket ,magazine extends through a portion of the horizontal guide member, as will be noted in Fig. 13, whereby each ticket may issue upward inl aline withthe guideways through which it is forced until it comes directly above theprinting wheels. In Fig. 14 thefticket-z guideway is shown at'115, and is ,formed by recessing the pair of side membersll upon which respectively are secured, as by screws, the 'co-operating' bar-like pieces 117. Vhere lthe tickets issue into the guideway 11.5 the members 116 are cut away at the dotted lines 118 respectively, kso that the upward movement of the tickets is stopped by the portions 117 a of the members 117. Such member 116 is recessed to provide room for a relatively long and slender springwire 119 held by the screw 120 and adapted to press'against the card., gently and provide a slight frictional resistance to itsy forward movement whereby it will move only such a distance as is provided by the stroke of the ticket-shifter.

The swinging bar 89 carries at its lower end an arm 89a having threaded thereinto a cylindricalbearing member 89?; mounted for movementin the notch of a yoke member 30.0 secured upon a plate 301 slidably mounted iin recesses or guideways at 302 in the guide member bars117, Fig. 14. rThe plate 301 is reciprocated to thefleft and into the position shown in Fig. 13 when the printing hammer descends, as already described, yand moves t0 ticket, wor into the position shown by Fig. 12,

xwhen the hammer is raised. v

To forcethe tickets forward, we found unsatisfactory tbe heretofore-suggested plan of using a plate as`30lbut operating inthe ticket guideway whereby the plate' serves as the moving clement contacting the ticket and forcing it forward. To remedy various disadvantages Aarisingin that connection we have provided a pair of dogs v122 mounted on a portion of the yoke member 300, and forward of itffor movements up and' down, and normally pressed downward by a' unitary ri ght-and-left coiled spring 123, with a light and gentle tension. These dogs respectively are provided with ak tooth 124 (Fig. 13) adapted to engage the uppermost ticket in the stack and force it forward in the inde-v pendent ticket guideways 115. On the return stroke the dogs ride gently over the next ticket which has .moved upward into position, and, at the endof the return stroke, fall and are forced by thespring downward to engage the card when the next operation occurs. I f f 'Itfwill be noted from Fig. 11-that 'several tickets 101 are fin the guideways at'the same time.y The size of the printing wheel 27 is such that the depending ticket magazine must besituated'laterally suiicient to clear the ways when, so advanced and falls into thel hopper 98, Fig. 3, and thencey into the open receptacle 99, to be taken` by the person weighed.

The inking mechanism is mounted on the front side of the main support 18, as well shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 28 shows the construction more in detail from which it will appear that a pair of stud shafts 130 and131 carry ratchet wheels 132 and 133 respectively `having their teeth arranged in opposite directions, these shafts being adapted to hold ribbon spools of the kind ordinarily used in typewriting machines, the spools being car` ried in the direction of ratchet movement by outstanding studs 134 and 135, the spools 136 `and 137 being shown in Fig. 20..

Turning to Fig. `6, it will be noted that the lever 33 carries a vertically disposed rod 138. This rod (see Fig. 20) in its upward movementpushes against a connecting'piece 139 withl a yielding seat action provided by the spring 140. 'The piece 139 is pivoted to a bar 141 pivoted at 142 to the plate carrying the inking'mechanism. To the levery 141 is pivotally secured a vertically reciprocating bar 143 mounted in suitable guides. The bar 143 has pivotally mounted on the face thereof a laterally swinging member 144 pivoted at 145, there being a catch 146 on the member 144` and adapted to engage the teeth of either' ratchet wheel accordingly as the member 144 is swung to one side or the other.

Means for holding the member 144 yieldingly in one position and then the other comprise the member 147 pivoted at 148 upon the reciprocating member 143, and including a conically pointed pin 149 pressed outward by a spring 150 and entering a small conical recess in thelower outturned end of the member 144.' As viewed in Fig. 28 it is apparent that a downward movement of the reciprocating member 143 will cause` t-he tooth 146 to advance the ratchet 132, and it is equally clear that if the member 144 were swung to the left such downwardmovement would advance the ratchet 133.

The upward movement of the pawl tooth 146 would be likely to return the ratchet back a step, so means are provided to lock it against such a contingency, these means being a small plate-like piece 151 pivoted at 152- upon the bracket 153 forming a guide for the recipr0- -iting member le-9. It will be clear that if the member 151 were swung to the left it would equally engage a tooth of the ratchet 133 and hold it against reverse movement; It is desired to swing the member 151 to one side or the other when the member 144 is so swung. To accomplish this, a pin 154C is mounted upon the member 1414; and issues through a slot-like opening 155 in the member 151, which pin lies between the legs of a spring 157 which clasp the pin whereby when the pin is moved in either direction the member 151 will be similarly moved and with a resilient and yielding action. This yielding action provides that when the ratchet 132, as shown in Fig. 28, is advanced in the anticlockwise direction a ratchettooth engaging the locking pawl 151 will move the pawl out of the way until the tooth is past the corner of the pawl, when the. pawl will return into holding position.

Means Jier holding the ribbon spools in place are shown as apair of liat fingers 158 pivoted at 159, and 160 pivoted at 161, with a cross bar 162 between them and a fingerpiece 163 on one of them, these fingers 158 and 160 being adapted to be swung out of the way when the ribbon spools are applied, and then swung back so as to lie within the edge portions et the spools respectiveh7 and prevent their coming ofi of the spindles 13() and 131. A spring 16st maintains this locking device in holding position.

TWhen the lever 33 .is moved upward by a person stepping upon the scale platform, the rod 138 is moved upward, but to a greater extent than is necessary for shifting the ribbon the desired amount and therefore the provision of the lost motion through the connection (see also Fig. 2). On descent of the lever 31 pulling down the rod 138, the ribbon shifter is not affected until near the end ot the movement, when the lever v141, Fig. 20, is pulled downward a` short distance-merely enough to advance the ratchet one tootli-aiid the ribbon is theretore moved a small amount. n

From Fig. 26 it will be noted that the ribbon 165 passes over two pairs of rollers 166 and 167. and that between the rollers 166 and 167 on each side there is an extension 168 of a member pivoi'ed 169 which has a pair ot 170 engaging the. little switch mem- The ribbon. as is usual in typewriter iracti e, is provided near each end with xa button or stop which, in the present instance,

` is unable to pass through a slot at 172 on each arm 168, and, therefore, as the ribbon continues to be advanced, the member 168 is rocled and the trip 147 is swung to the other rside, whereupon the other ratchet becomes efective and winds the ribbon upon the spool associated with it. The ribbon feed is therefore automatic at all times.

The dashpot 28 is illustrated in detail in Fig. 25; Figs. 26 and 27 also show the dashpot 28 substantially as made, but with a mov; able plate omitted andthe other two plates brought close together. The liquid in them may be any suitable oil or compound having the property oit maintaining as uniform as possible a high degree of fluidity. It appears iractically impossible to obtain, Within reasonable cost considerations, a dashpot liquid ich will not become more fluid in hot weather and less iuid in the cold. The desired uniformity of operation in warm and cold weather may be controlled in this respect through an adjustment of the dashpot ele` ments to provide for a less free passage of the liquid Vfrom one side of the diaphragm to the other in hot weather and for a more free passage when the weather is cold. It is desirable to avoid the dismantling of parts or the necessity of removing the liquid for such adjustmonts.

Referring to Fig. 25. the cover 180 has a central opening through which passes loosely t plunger rod 181 in the form of a tube tlnough which. passes an adjusting rod 182. The tube or sleeve has a slot 183 and in this .i ot there is a headed screw 184, thus providinlr that the sleeve and rod may be turned relative to each other. The binding nut 185 will tighten the iarts in an adjusted relative position, and the headed screw 184 may also be tightened for the same purpose. These parts 184 and 185 are where the attendant can at any time easily make any adjustment desired.

The sleeve 181 is slightly reduced at itsv bottom 'to form a seat for the plate 186 shown in Fig. 26, the plate bein;r rigidly secured to the sleeve as by solder. The plate 186 has three notches 187 therein forming passageways for the liquid. A plate 188 shaped like plate 186 mounted loosely for up and down movement on the rod 182 .immediately below the plate 186. The rod 182 is slightly reduced in diameter at its bottom to accommodate the plate 189. which is held rigidly thereon by a pair of binding nuts 190. The plate 188 has secured to it a pin 191 freely movable in a hole 192 in the plate 189 whereby any rotative movement given to the lowermost plate 189 will be communicated to plate 188. The lower plate 189 has notches 193 therein.

Frein the construction thus illustrated and described, it will be clear that when the sleeve and rod are turned relative to each other the relationship of the notches between plate 186 and 188 will be changed, to enlarge or reduce the passageways from one side of the diaphragm as a whole to the other, and thus modifying the resistance to movement of the diaphragm in the body of liquid. The dash pot illustrated in Fig. 25 is the one which cushions the lweight of the person when he steps on the scale platform. k'Through the free up-and-down movement of the plate 188 kit will be clear kthat that plate will move upward against plate 186 on the downward movement of the comliined sleeve 181 and rod 182, thus closing the passageways except for that predetermined amount fixed by the particularV adjustment at the time; When the person steps off the scale andthe dashpot elements move upward, the movable plate 188 will fall away from plate 186, thus enlarging the passageways whereby the fluid Will not be pumped upward out of the dashpot and whereby the scale parts affected may adjust then'iselvcs as rapidly as desired.k

Ve claim:

l. In a ticket-printing-and-delivering weighing scale of the character described, the combination with ticket printing and delivering mechanisms, of a vertically disposed ticket magazine extending below the plane of said printing mechanism'and adapted to.

hold tickets face to face in a vertical pile, said ticket delivering mechanism including means for feeding the topmost ticket from the pile to the printing mechanism, a-support for the tickets freely movable up and down in the magazine and a coiled spring mechanism, the lower end of which is connected to said support and the upper end yof which is anchored adjacent the upper end of the ticket magazine.

2. In a ticketprinting-and-delivering weighing scale of the character described, the

l combination with an outerhousing having a door and ticket printing and delivering mechanisms, of a vertically disposed ticket magazine extending below the plane of said printing mechanism and adapted to hold tickets r" face to face in a vertical pile, said ticket delivering mechanism includingmeans for feeding the topmost ticket from the pile to the printing mechanism, asupportfor the tickets freely movable up and down in the magazine and a coiled spring mechanism, the lower end of which is connected'to said support and the upper end of which is anchored adjacent the upper ond of the ticket magazine, and a door in said magazine forming a part of the wall thereof, the magazine being so arranged with respect to the door of the housing that the latter may not be closed while the magazine door is open.

3. In a weighing scale having ticket printf -ing and delivering mechanism actuated by the insertion of a coin, the combination with a frame, movable platform and associated weighing mechanism parts, of a vertically disposed printing wheel operatively connected with the platformso as to be actuated by the weight of a person on the platform, a vertically disposed ticket magazine extending y downward from about the horizontal plane of the top of the printing wheel, means for feeding tickets from the top of the ticket magazine-to the top of the printing wheel, a i

printing hammer arranged tok fall upon a ticket at the top of the printing wheel, and an associatedinking mechanism.

4. In a yweighingscale having ticket print- :l

ing and delivering lmechanism actuated by thelinsertion-of 'a coin, the combina-tion with a frame, movable platform `and associated the top of the printing wheel, meansfor feedl i ing tickets from the top ofthe ticket magazine to the topof the printing wheel, a. printing hammer, an associated inking mechanism, and gravity-controlled `means for setting operative mechanisms for the next weighing operation. v v l 5. yIn a weighing scale having ticket printing and delivering mechanism actuated by the insertion of a coin, the combination with' a frame, movable platform and associated weighing mechanism parts, of a vertically` disposed yprinting Wheel operatively connected with the platform so as to be actuated by a weightfon the platform, a vertically disposed ticket magazine extending downward rom about the horizontal plane of the `top of the printing wheel, ticket-guide means for holding a series ofv tickets in a horizontal plane and .for conducting them from the' top of the ticket magazine to the top of the printing wheel, ticket shifting mechanism for moving the tickets in the guide means, a printing hammer, and an associated inking mechanism. l

6. In a weighing scale having ticket yprinting and delivering 'mechanism actuated by the insertion of a coin, the combination with a frame, movablev platform and associated weighing mechanism parts, of a. vertically disposed printing wheel operatively connected with the platform so as to be actuated by the weight of a person on theiplatform, a vertically disposed ticket magazine extending downward from about the horizontal lane of the top ofthe printing wheel, means ork lfeeding ticket-s from the top `of the tickety the insertion of a coin,the combination with anouter frame and movable platform and associated weighing mechanism parts, of a plate-like main support having mounted. on one side thereof a printingwheel operatively having ticket printing and delivering mechanism actuated by 'Y ist" associated with the weighing mechanism, a operation and means for elevating said ticket magazine extending downward from gravity operated means previous to the reabout the horizontal plane of the top of the moval of the Weight from the latform.

printing wheel, a ticket-feeding mechanism for feeding tickets from the top of the magazine to the top of the printing wheel, an inking mechanism, and a printing hammer, and having mounted on the opposite side of said support a gravity-operated lever arm connected through the main support to the hammer for releasing the hammer for gravitational printing movement and for restoring it to initial position, means including a weight released by the gravitational movement of said lever arm for moving said lever arm in reverse direction to restore the hammer to initial position, gravity-operated means operable when the persons steps off the platform for restoring said weight to initial position, and coin-controlled means releasing said lever arm for gravitational movement.

S. In a weighing scale having ticket printing and delivering mechanism actuated by the insertion of a coin, the combination with an outer frame and movable platform and associated weighting mechanism parts, of a printing wheel operatively connected with the platform so as to be actuated by the weight of a person on the platform, and adjacent to the printing wheel a vertically disposed ticket magazine extending downward from about the horizont-al plane of the part of the printing wheel where the printing is done, said magazine being adapted to support tickets face to face in a vertical pile, a support for the tickets freely movable up and down in the magazine, said support being carried and drawn upward by a plurality of coiled springs disposed outside of the magazine, ticketguide means for conducting tickets from the magazine to the printing wheel, ticket-shifting means including a member slidably mounted to move in directions toward and away from the printing Wheel, said member carrying dog means for engaging a ticket at the top of the magazine, a printing hammer, and means reciprocating said sliding member and dog means.

9. In a weighing scale having ticket printing and delivering mechanism actuated by the insertion of a coin, the combination with a scale frame, movable platform and associated weighing mechanism parts, of a vertically disposed printing wheel operatively connected with the platform so as to be actuated by the weight of a person on the plat-form, a ticket magazine, means for feeding tickets from the magazine into operative position with respect to the printing wheel, a printing hammer mounted to fall gravitationally when released, an associated inking mechanism, gravity operated means, released by removal of the weight from the platform, for setting the mechanism for the next weighing SETH A. RH DES. GUSTAV F. HOCHRIEM.

er. i 

